Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Good Looks are Hard Currency

Zog had expected this world’s yo-yo scene to develop to an absurd level.

But he hadn’t expected it to be *this* absurd.

During the last Yo-Yo competition, things were outrageous, but still within the realm of normal human comprehension.

But now, with the aid of Skills and Magic, the Western speed-style play from the source material—which had always looked like little more than flailing—had been perfectly replicated and even surpassed.

Furthermore, new styles with unique Feilin characteristics were being developed on top of that.

There was multi-yo-yo play, coordinated by several Mage’s Hands, with the number of yo-yos limited only by a person’s ability to multitask.

Off-string tricks where the yo-yo ricocheted back and forth between several Teleportation Gates.

There were Martial Monks who used extra-long strings, with their bodies as the fulcrum, designing yo-yo routines based on dazzling martial arts movements.

And Barbarians who had to use steel wire for their strings, lest they snap the ordinary ones after entering a rage.

Technically speaking, their skills were more than sufficient for a live-action show.

But someone needed to kick out that Thief who was just playing with the air, claiming his yo-yo was "hidden in the shadows" and that "only those who truly love yo-yos can see it."

The guy in the old story who faked his way into the orchestra at least *had* an instrument!

Once that one misfit was removed, the remaining group of players looked far more harmonious.

Since their technical skills were more than enough, choosing a protagonist was simple.

Pick the most handsome one.

’I mean, what else was I going to do? Find the one with the best acting skills?’

This show was going to be filmed in the style of an idol drama. As long as their acting was passable, it was good enough.

There were over thirty players in attendance. Zog scanned the room and his eyes quickly fell upon a handsome Spiritual Ball Player.

During the demonstration earlier, he had used a yo-yo he’d modified himself with a whistle on it. He controlled the pitch using the yo-yo’s speed and a bit of Magic.

He could generate his own background music while performing tricks. It was very creative. His technique wasn’t exceptional, but his face certainly was.

He had a thick accent when speaking the common tongue, but that didn’t matter.

If his line delivery wasn’t up to par, they could dub him over later. They didn’t need someone emotionally expressive, just someone with an appealing, stylized voice.

That way, they could also attract a flock of fans who are into voices.

Liffey in the comic was from the Human Race, but that was an easy fix. They’d just say he had Elf blood.

It would be perfect for playing up some racial gags with the tsundere Dwarf, the second male lead.

The romance arc with the Human female lead would also have that beautiful, tragic sense of doomed love between a long-lived species and a short-lived one.

’Perfect. It’s him.’

Zog didn’t say this out loud, however, to avoid dampening the other players’ motivation for the upcoming acting training.

Finding a handsome protagonist was one way he was staying true to the source material. Though he was loath to admit it, Zog had always thought the actor who played Li Fei in the original *Firepower Young King* was handsome, even as a kid.

It wasn’t that modern kind of "handsome"—the kind with bizarre outfits and ambiguous gender, where someone with an ordinary face gets blindly hyped up by a horde of marketing accounts and fans.

He was the wholesome kind of handsome, the kind your own mom would comment on, even as she was turning off the TV to tell you to hurry up and do your homework.

Getting one man to admit another man is handsome is a big deal, on par with getting him to say, "Alright, you win."

Plus, the actor was a true professional. He’d only had temporary training for the Yo-Yo, but managing to land so many string tricks with those difficult-to-use drum-shaped yo-yos was no small feat.

He was far more respectable than those actors who ride fake horses while the camera only films their upper body.

"I’ve called you all here today to announce a major decision. As you know, *Firepower Young King* is about to be adapted into a serial Magic Shadow Drama..."

He had barely finished his sentence before the players erupted in excited discussion.

"Boss, does this mean we get to make a cameo in a Shadow of Evil?"

"What are you talking about? He definitely wants us to teach the actors how to use a Yo-Yo."

"But how would we teach them? They can’t possibly learn in such a short time."

"Maybe he wants us to design the tricks?"

"Boss, will Toto have a part in it? I’m a huge fan of hers!"

’Toto’s busy testing that game demo Priest Andrei designed,’ Zog thought. ’She probably doesn’t have the time.’

He had heard, however, that the experience was driving Toto into a depressive spiral. ’Just what kind of monstrosity did Priest Andrei design?’

"Quiet, quiet."

Zog brought the room back to order.

"You won’t be making guest appearances in *Firepower Young King*."

"Aww..."

Sighs of disappointment filled the room.

In the local yo-yo community, *Firepower Young King* held an almost sacred status. It was the series that had gotten them all started, so of course they all wanted to be a part of it.

"But," Zog said, pausing for dramatic effect, "you will be the main cast, starring in the Shadow of Evil."

"WHOA!" In an instant, the players were cheering and hugging one another in excitement.

Seeing how ecstatic they were, Zog didn’t have the heart to tell them that for most of them, these so-called "main roles" were just stepping-stone characters who would get knocked out after an episode or two.

Their main purpose was to make a cool entrance, deliver some arrogant lines, stir up some animosity, and then get taken down a peg by the protagonist.

After all, there could only be one Long Aotian.

"But... can we really act?" the Spiritual Ball Player asked, his voice lacking confidence.

Zog looked at him, satisfied. ’As expected of my chosen protagonist,’ he thought. ’He knows how to ask the important questions.’

"Of course you can. Why couldn’t you?"

"It’s just acting. I don’t think those professional actors are all that great, anyway."

The other players quickly cut off the Spiritual Ball Player, afraid that Zog might change his mind. Their arrogant boasts already gave them the air of minor villains.

"That’s why, before we start filming, you’ll all be taking acting classes for a while."

Zog introduced several veteran actors from the Shepherd’s Theater Troupe standing beside him.

Although they had spent their entire lives in theater, they had a decent aptitude for this new medium. After studying and collaborating with the Mixed Giant Beast Corps, they had gradually adapted to performing for the Shadow of Evil.

"These will be your acting teachers. They are all excellent actors, so you must learn from them diligently."

Of course, Zog had no intention of having them systematically study acting. Instead, after roughly defining their character types, he would have them slot into formulaic performance styles.

"Your progress in these acting lessons will be tied to your compensation."

"What? We’re actually getting paid for this?!"

"You mean we get paid to be in *Firepower Young King*?"

"I thought being in a Shadow of Evil *was* the reward!"

Zog’s eyelid twitched. ’Should’ve said so earlier! If I’d known you were all this fanatical, I wouldn’t have bothered preparing contracts.’

But he had already said it, so he had Elsa bring out the service contracts she had prepared.

Sign them! One for everyone! Couldn’t have people thinking that he, Zog, couldn’t afford contracts.

After the contracts were signed, the whole group headed for Shudian.

To ensure efficiency, the acting classes would be a closed-door training camp held on Shudian Island.

Several city sets had already been constructed on the island ahead of time.

They wouldn’t just be used for *Firepower Young King*; the upcoming *Mechanical Warrior* could make use of them as well.

He remembered how the original *Armor Warriors* was filmed on the streets of Dalian City. As a kid, he’d never once thought it looked out of place.

Meanwhile, the filming park for *Holy Mountain Journey* was already open to tourists and had even recruited several hundred zombie actors.

Like at Disney, they had parades scheduled at fixed times each day, only instead of floats, it was a zombie horde passing through.

Tourists who managed to avoid them could win a small prize.

It was quite a thrill.

A large hotel had also been built on the island in preparation for future tourists. Since it wasn’t full yet, it was the perfect place to house the actors.

Civil engineering really was a promising profession in times of rapid development.

As for the future... well, that was a problem for later.

The Beastmen and Zor responsible for construction on the island were all making a fortune, and they no longer had their old bandit ways. In their free time, they could even work part-time as tourist guides.

The old saying, "propriety is known when the granaries are full," really held true. Unless you were a total psychopath, who would risk their life and limb when they were living comfortably?

To welcome everyone on their first day on the island, Zog threw a bonfire barbecue.

With a Dragon Flame barbecue, there was no waiting. No matter how big the cut of meat, it was cooked in an instant.

The only problem was that the outside occasionally got charred to a crisp.

He’d been eating a lot of meat lately and wanted some vegetables to cleanse his palate. Back in Twin Tower City, every vegetable dish was just drenched in salad dressing, which was truly unbearable for a Dragon.

Zog grilled some shiitake mushrooms and chives for himself. The only seasonings were chili powder, pepper, and salt. It was barely passable.

But for some reason, everything had a faint taste of coal.

He was sure he hadn’t used the old petroleum-in-the-stomach method of breathing fire since he’d reached adulthood.

’Weird.’